council
( councils plural )
1 n-count-coll; n-in-names A council is a group of people who are elected to govern a local area such as a city or, in Britain, a county.
(=local authority)
...Cheshire County Council..., The city council has voted almost unanimously in favour., ...David Ward, one of just two Liberal Democrats on the council.
2 adj Council houses or flats are owned by the local council, and people pay rent to live in them.
(BRIT) ADJ n
There is a shortage of council housing...
3 n-count-coll Council is used in the names of some organizations.
usu in names
...the National Council for Civil Liberties., ...community health councils.
4 n-count-coll In some organizations, the council is the group of people that controls or governs it.
usu sing, usu with supp
The permanent council of the Organization of American States meets today here in Washington.
5 n-count A council is a specially organized, formal meeting that is attended by a particular group of people.
(=conference) President Najibullah said he would call a grand council of all Afghans...
council house ( council houses plural ) In Britain, a council house is a house that is owned by a local council and that people can rent at a low cost. n-count
council of war ( councils of war plural ) A council of war is a meeting that is held in order to decide how a particular threat or emergency should be dealt with.
FORMAL n-count
council tax
In Britain, council tax is a tax that you pay to your local authority in order to pay for local services such as schools, libraries, and rubbish collection. The amount of council tax that you pay depends on the value of the house or flat where you live. n-uncount also the N
county council ( county councils plural ) A county council is an organization which runs local government in a county in Britain. n-count; n-in-names
...Devon County Council.
Privy Council
In Britain, the Privy Council is a group of people who are appointed to advise the king or queen on political affairs. n-proper the N
Security Council
The Security Council is the committee which governs the United Nations. It has permanent representatives from the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom, and temporary representatives from some other countries. n-proper the N
town council ( town councils plural ) A town council is a group of people who have been elected to govern a British town. n-count-coll oft in names